Comparative Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and Farmers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Tropical Crops Production Systems in Davao Oriental, Philippines

Climate change increasingly threatens tropical crop production through erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and more frequent extreme weather events that reduce crop productivity and disrupt farm management. This study assessed climate change impacts and farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) across banana, cassava, and mixed-cropping systems in Davao Oriental, Philippines. A total of 450 farmers were surveyed using a structured questionnaire, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Banana farmers perceived the greatest climate change impacts (mean = 4.35), followed by cassava (4.05) and mixed-crop farmers (3.98). Across all systems, farmers demonstrated moderate to high knowledge (3.55–3.85) and positive attitudes (3.70–4.10) toward climate change adaptation, yet adaptation practices remained only moderate (3.50–3.75). Major climate-related challenges included erratic rainfall, prolonged drought, flooding, increasing pest and disease incidence, and declining crop yields. Common adaptation strategies included crop diversification, supplemental irrigation, drought-tolerant planting materials, soil conservation, and improved pest management. However, about 20% of banana farmers reported adopting no adaptation measures. Climate change affected not only crop productivity but also planting schedules, water management, and crop protection. Production constraints also varied by landscape, with upland banana and cassava farms experiencing greater drought and soil erosion, while coastal mixed-cropping areas were more vulnerable to flooding and saltwater intrusion. These findings underscore the need for crop-specific climate adaptation strategies, strengthened climate-smart agricultural extension, and improved access to localized climate information to enhance the resilience and sustainability of tropical crop production systems in the Philippines.